The Irvine Brain Bee is hosted by the UC Irvine Center for the Neurobiology of Learning and Memory's Office of Outreach and Education. The program is directed by Dr. Manuella Oliveira Yassa and organized by a committee led by neuroscience PhD students and CNLM Ambassadors Rachael Hokenson, Winny Ning and Allison Morehouse. The goal of the Irvine Brain Bee is to inspire high school students in Orange County to learn about the brain and provide opportunities for engagement with university students and professors. All Irvine Brain Bee competitors will have the opportunity to participate in a review sessions before the event.
The 2025 Irvine Brain Bee Competition will take place in February 8, 2025 on the UC Irvine campus. In addition to the competition itself, the day will include neuroscience demonstrations and hands-on activities as well as panel discussions and a keynote lecture. The event is 100% free for students and is possible thanks to generous donations from our community. Interested in supporting the Irvine Brain Bee? Donations can be made by clicking here.
The 2025 Irvine Brain Bee will take place Saturday, February 8, 2025 9am-4pm at UC Irvine
Registration NOW OPEN! Click here to learn more and register
LEARN ABOUT THE 2025 IRVINE BRAIN BEE
Registration is now OPEN!
Help us inspire and train the next generation of neuroscientists!
The Irvine Brain Bee in the News
Irvine Brain Bee Ignites Passion for Neuroscience Among
Southern California High School Students
February 15, 2024
2023 Irvine Brain Bee engages high schoolers in neuroscience!
January 31, 2023
3rd Annual Irvine Brain Bee goes VIRTUAL!
May 14, 2021
2020 Irvine Brain Bee Inspires Teens to Pursue Brain Science Careers
February 21, 2020
Past Brain Bee Competitions
2024 Irvine Brain Bee
2023 Irvine Brain Bee
2022 Irvine Brain Bee
2021 Irvine Brain Bee
2020 Irvine Brain Bee
2019 Irvine Brain Bee
Irvine Brain Bee
The Irvine Brain Bee is a local competition for high school students hosted by the Center for the Neurobiology of Learning and Memory at the University of California, Irvine.
The winner of the Irvine Brain Bee will be awarded a trip for two to the National Brain Bee to compete with high schoolers from around the country.*
USA Brain Bee
The USA Brain Bee was founded in 1998 by Dr. Norbert Myslinski at the University of Maryland. Date and location for the 2020 US Brain Bee has not yet been announced. Awards of $1,500, $1000 and $500 will be given to the first, second and third place winners of the USA Brain Bee. The first place winner will be invited to participate in the International Brain Bee Championship.
Click here to learn more about the USA Brain Bee.
International Brain Bee
The International Brain Bee Competition is sponsored by the American Psychological Association (APA), the Dana Foundation, the Federation of European Neuroscience Societies (FENS), the International Brain Research Organization (IBRO) and the Society for Neuroscience (SfN).
The dates for the 2020 World Championship have not yet been announced. The 2019 World Championship was held in Daegu, Korea in September 2019 in conjunction with the 10th IBRO World Congress of Neuroscience. Read more about the International Brain Bee competition by clicking here.